


Stuck on the Ferris Wheel

by thelotusflower



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Attempt at Humor, Ferris Wheel, Fluff, M/M, catching feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29404383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelotusflower/pseuds/thelotusflower
Summary: On a trip to the Denver Amusement Park, Stan and Kenny get stuck on the Ferris Wheel. While at first, Stan was angry about this, he soon realized how much he enjoyed spending one-on-one time with Kenny.
Relationships: Stan Marsh/Kenny McCormick
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	Stuck on the Ferris Wheel

**Author's Note:**

> IDK WHAT THIS IS!!!!! I just, thought of it and was like cute, and was in a stenny mood? Idk. Hope it’s okay?

Stan tried to not panic when the conductor announced that the Ferris Wheel was momentarily broken down. He knew it would be  _ okay — _ they weren’t going to die or anything, but the whole day would be ruined. 

He did not get to go to the Denver amusement park often. He also did not get to spend Saturdays with his friends often.

His parents were getting lazier and lazier on the weekends, refusing to take him back to South Park. Instead, his father would force him to tend to marijuana business activities. 

He could not for his license next year.

Then, when he finally  _ did _ get a day out with his friends, some ride broke down and he was stuck on a Ferris Wheel for an indefinite amount of time.

He supposed it could be worse, he thought, as he looked over to Kyle and Eric’s passenger car.

“Do you think Kyle is gonna push Cartman off? That would probably speed this up, right? If there was a murder?” Stan asked, eyes still peeled to his super best friend and Eric.

“It could,” Kenny said. “But probably not. I think that would just slow things down more. You aren’t supposed to interfere with a crime scene, ya know?”

“Yeah, you’re right — KYLE! Don’t kill Cartman!”

The redhead turned his head back and furrowed his eyebrows together with a scowl. “I can’t believe you forced me to sit by him!”

“We were switching off! It’s not my fault you happened to be sitting with him when this happened!”

Kyle shook his head and turned forward.

It was Stan’s idea to switch off — he honestly just felt bad for Kenny. He realized somewhere down the road that Kenny was often left to pair with Cartman when it came to duos in their four-person friendship. Stan wanted him to feel more included. Kenny was  _ cool  _ and there were too many times they had left him out in the past. If they weren’t careful, he would start hanging out with Craig and those guys.

He rested his elbows on the metal bars of the passenger car and held his head between his hands. “This is so lame.”

“I mean it can’t be anymore lame than what we would be doing, right? I mean, what? A normal Saturday for you is working on your dad’s pot farm?”

“Yeah, I mean… it’s less lame than that, obviously,” he picked his head up to look at his friend. “But it’s still super lame.”

“You’re super lame, dude. This is sick!”

Stan furrowed his eyebrows at him, but the blonde turned his head away. “We can see everything from up here! Look there,” Kenny pointed to a concession stand, “that kid just puked!” 

Kenny began to giggle, and even before Stan witnessed the scene, he couldn’t help but laugh along. Kenny had that type of laugh that spread through you; tugged at your cheeks and made your stomach hurt.

“You remember when Kyle wouldn't eat for the whole day because we saw that kid throw up his corn dog?”

Stan laughed, eyes finally catching onto the scene Kenny had pointed out. The kid was now holding onto his stomach, and gasping for air.

Stan looked back to Kenny, who was unsurprisingly still staring with a wide grin of amusement. Stan may not be as disgusted by things as Kyle, but watching someone vomit was still gross. Even if it was kind of funny.

“Yeah, oh my God,” Stan shook his head. “And he kept bringing it up to! Asking us how we could still eat.”

Kenny laughed, amber eyes clicking back onto him. “Right? It’s almost like he wanted us to starve and suffer too! If foods in front of me, I’m gonna eat it — it’s not too often I get more than stale poptarts.”

Stan raised a smile, but those comments were getting more and more alarming as they got older. Was that really all they ate at his house? It made him want to invite him over every night for dinner.

Kenny looked away again, and pointed, “and look! Isn't that Mr. Mackey? Is he on a  _ date?” _

Stan leant forward, pressing his chest over the metal bar to squint.  _ “Holy fuck!  _ It is. She looks pretty hot.”

Kenny did a wolf whistle and yelled, “get it Mr. Mackey! Mack on that fine ass!”

“Ew, dude,” Stan laughed, alongside his blonde friend.

Kyle sent them a inquisitive glare, which only made them laugh harder.

The laughter continued as Kenny pointed out various places of amusement. He also pointed out every single dog they saw, which Stan internally questioned if it was more for Stan than himself. Kenny was more into the rare kind of animals, like possums, mice, and raccoons — or as he would like to call them,  _ trash babies. _

After every dog had been pointed out, along with any sight of entertainment, Stan suggested they play the game where they make up stories for people.

Kenny was instantly into it. After not even two seconds, he pointed to Kyle and Eric’s passenger with a grin, “all right, I bet the fat one broke this ride, so he could spend more time with the ginger.”

Stan snorted in laughter, shaking his head. 

“I bet he’ll try to squeeze his ass, and say,  _ oh I was just trying to get comfortable _ ,” Kenny did his best Eric impression, causing Stan’s laughter to exceed in volume.

“Or he set this whole situation up to sue the amusement park for all their worth.”

“Do you think that would work?” Kenny’s eyes lit up upon him.

Stan shook his head with a grin. “Dude, come on, next person.”

“Fine, fine. But it’s your turn anyway, killjoy.”

He frowned. “I’m just trying to save you from all the bull shit that —,”

Kenny grabbed his arm. Unexpected electricity surged through him. “Don’t worry, Stan the Man, I was just joking.”

Stan’s lips tugged out into a grin as he stared into amber, Kenny’s hand still cupped on his arm. He didn’t know why he wanted Kenny to find him so joyful to be around, but he did. Perhaps, he wanted everyone to like him, but he felt a strange urgency to do whatever he could to impress Kenny in that moment.

“Sorry, I’m — yeah, that makes sense.”

“Don’t say sorry. You’re fine. If anything,  _ I’m  _ sorry,”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, dude,” Stan offered, “I’m just — I don’t know,” he fluttered his eyes away. 

In the back of his mind, he registered that Kenny’s hand was still there. He loosened the grip up slightly though, moving his thumb in circles now. He wondered if he knew he was doing it. 

“You’re just so fun, and  _ funny, _ ”  _ wow, his word choice was terrible.  _ “I just feel like? I don’t know,” Stan shrugged. “I really don’t know,” he huffed, meeting Kenny’s ambers again.

“I didn’t mean for you to get all sappy on me, Marsh. If it makes ya feel any better, I think you’re very joyful — like, the opposite of a killjoy. You’re, like, the life of the party.”

Stan laughed. “I feel like I’m the death of the party with how depressing I can be.”

Kenny shrugged, a lazy smile on his face. “Depressing or not, I still enjoy ya! I wouldn’t want to be stuck on a Ferris Wheel with anyone else.”

He maybe thought Kenny was just saying it to make him feel better, but it still made him grin and flush. “Neither would I, I think.”

“Really? What about Kyle?”

Stan shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s cool, but I think I enjoy the extra time with you — uh, I don’t know? Ya know. Like I see Kyle  _ all the time _ , but um,” his heart was suddenly pounding very quickly in his ears. Kenny appeared to be amused. His hand was still on his arm; a lopsided smile across his lips. “I just, uh, like we don’t get a ton of one-on-one time, ya know? Like, it’s nice?”

Stan swallowed. 

He could only describe what was coming out of his mouth as word vomit. Although, Kenny seemed to be enjoying it. His amber eyes were filled with fondness; a slight pink brushed across his lightly freckled cheeks.

“You want more one-on-one time with me, Marsh?”

Stan opened his mouth to respond, but before he could get out his answer — if it would be an answer at all, and not actual  _ vomit —  _ the ride began to move.

The passengers cheered in relief and excitement. Stan took this as an opportunity to escape from this awkward conversation that was most likely going to end in vomit. Kenny finally let go of his arm, however right after, he flung his arms around him and said, “ _ woohoo, I made this out alive!” _

Which Stan thought was an odd thing to say, as Kenny was not the paranoid type, but he was too revealed in the feeling the side-hug brought to really consider the words. 

It’s not like this was the first time Kenny had ever hugged him, but it felt different than all the times before. It brought warmth all over, and when Kenny let go, he was sad.

As their passenger car-seat made its way back towards the ground, Stan strangely dreaded it. He had been so angry when this ride first broke down, but now he was longing for the moment where they were back at the top.

Maybe it was just his habit of romanticizing the past; always finding the precious moment better than the present, but then he thought about what Kenny said. 

_ You want more one-on-one time with me, Marsh?” _

He supposed he  _ did _ . 

He didn’t question it. Instead, he tried to push it away. A friend could feel this way about another friend, right? That was normal. But it felt  _ deeper  _ than that. It felt stronger.

Everytime he was paired with Kenny on a ride thereafter he hoped it would break down, just to get more time alone with him. He didn’t value it enough when they were on the Ferris Wheel.

Suddenly, without warning, Kenny became his center of gravity. If someone told a funny joke, he would look over to see the blonde’s reaction. When deciding which ride to go on next, he directed the question to Kenny. Even when someone else was talking, he would watch Kenny for his visual insights.

It felt strange, but familiar.

He knew this feeling. It was the feeling he had for Wendy in the past.

At the end of the day, as they waited for Stan’s mom to come pick them up, he sat beside Kenny on a bench. Kyle and Cartman had gone to the bathroom. They were once again  _ alone,  _ minus the crowd of people swarming around them.

“Today was fun,” Stan said.

“Even if getting stuck on the Ferris Wheel took up a big part of it?”

Stan smiled. “I honestly had a really good time with you up there.”

“Me too. It was kind of romantic. The only thing that was missing was a kiss,”

Stan laughed, but his heart stalled. Kenny said stuff like this occasionally. He usually flirted with people outside their friend group though. He also knew Kenny was into  _ everyone  _ — not just females.

“I suppose it  _ was, _ ” Stan said, bringing his fidgeting hands beneath his thighs.

Then, without warning, Kenny pressed his lips against his cheek. Stan froze. It was honestly not the first time Kenny had done this, but  _ again,  _ it felt different. The electricity returned and heat blazed across his face.

“There ya go, all fixed.”

He supposed a  _ normal _ Stan would say,  _ ew, gross  _ and rub off the spot on his cheek where Kenny’s lips previously laid. Instead, he sat still, his stomach doing flips and threatening him with vomit.

Again, he was saved by distraction. Cartman and Kyle returned, and not a moment after, his mom texted him that she was there.

Although the world around him shifted back to normal, his heart still stammered in his chest. He still periodically turned his head to look at Kenny on the car-ride home. He questioned what the kiss meant; if it meant  _ anything _ . 

He wondered about his sexuality; what this meant and how he would deal with it. 

He thought about a lot of things as the night fell inward, but the thing that occupied his mind most was Kenny McCormick.

  
  



End file.
